The Day WhatsApp Went Down and Other Fascinating News on the Web

You’re Hip (but now you’re not)

You’ve got the beard, the stylish glasses, the skinny jeans, the vintage t-shirt, and the latest tablet, covered with stickers, slid neatly into a faux-messenger bag. But to a teenager, you just look like another old dude. It’s tough to stay hip. That’s true for people. And that’s true for tech services. That’s one of the reasons why Facebook had to shell out $19 billion on a messaging app. And it’s also a reason why that purchase provides no guarantee that they’ll seem cool to the fickle millions looking for the new, new thing. The New Yorker’s Joshua Hunt provides a look at some amazing stats from the day Whatsapp went down for a few hours: “In the day after WhatsApp’s server outage, its biggest competitors, Telegram and Line, gained five million and two million new users, respectively.”

Weekend Reads

“The general idea, quite simply, is to don the most protective armor you can, tool up with something menacing, and bludgeon the sh*t out of your opponents. A modern-day Knight Club that demands stamina and might just do you harm, but promises cathartic release and glory.” Tim Chester provides a glimpse into the the violent, geeky world of international medieval combat.

Hollywood Reads

I predict that this weekend’s Academy Awards will belong to a deserving Matthew McConaughey (who has made an incredible comeback from his days as a rich, famous, wildly attractive person.) Before his name is read, the Oscar envelope will have taken an interesting (and secretive) journey. And here are some details about how the Oscar statue is made.

+ NYT: The Last, Disposable Action Hero. “Almost any actor, even some of Hollywood’s most scrawny, can be physically transformed for the part if he’s willing to put in the hard work. The studios know this, which is why any inexpensive unknown can be chosen.”

Religion’s Rebound?

Before each Oklahoma City Thunder game, there “is a stadiumwide prayer of invocation that on most nights briefly turns a raucous sports event into something resembling a megachurch gathering.” (Except on those nights when a rabbi shows up.) From the NYT: Praying for the home team in Oklahoma City. Professional sports leagues have always done a great job at co-branding themselves with country and God.

+ “The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values, and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis.” Yes, Paramount was strong-armed into making it clear that their Noah story is not the, um, real Noah story.

Crack

“I expect to smoke a lot less crack in 2014 than I did in 2013, but I’d be setting myself up for failure if I made abstinence a goal.” Slate’s Shane Schleger on fifteen years of smoking crack.

+ Newsweek: “What they are doing, consuming drugs, sometimes it doesn’t harm them as much, but those drugs carry many consequences. Maybe along the way they leave behind innocent deaths, maybe incarcerations. The road is full of injustice for, maybe, a brief moment of fun.” Private Morales doesn’t want to die for your sins.

Class is in Session

“In light of the bill permitting guns on our state’s college and university campuses, which is likely to be approved by the state House of Representatives in the coming days, I have a matter of practical concern that I hope you can help with: When may I shoot a student?’